Supporting device



Sept. 20, 1960 A. s. PORTNER SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed June 15, 1959 IN VEN TOR. ALBERT s. PORTNER United States Patent SUPPORTING DEVICE FiledJune 15, 1959, Ser. No. 820,484

3 Claims. (Cl. 280-4713) This invention relates to a supportingattachment for containers such as trash cans and. the like and it moreparticularly relates to a supporting attachment which permits the trashcan to be wheeled about rather than carried.

It has heretofore been the general practice to provide trash cans withoppositely disposed hinged handles to enable a person to lift the canfor the purpose of moving it from one place to another. Since such trashcans often become extremely heavy when fully loaded, a person whoattempts to lift such cans becomes subject to undue strain.

Various prior attempts have been made to overcome the aforesaiddifliculty by providing roller or wheel means on such cans. However,such prior types of roller or wheel means have not proved to besuccessful because they often tended to run away with the can and theydid not therefore provide a sufliciently sound support for the cans whennot being moved about.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the aforesaiddifficulties by providing a roller attachment for trash cans and thelike which will not only serve as an eflicient transporting means forthe cans, but which will also serve as a sound and rigid supportingmeans for the cans when the cans are not being transported.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rollerattachment of the aforesaid type which is relatively simple but which isyet sturdy in construction and highly efiicient in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rollerattachment of the aforesaid type which can be easily attached anddetached from most standard types of trash cans and the like.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a trash can having a roller supportthereon embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detailed view, partly in section and partly inelevation, showing the roller support in position on the trash can ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the roller support illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2; this view being taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in greater detail to the various figures of the drawingswherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there isshown a trash can designated 10, having hinged opposed handles 12, whichis provided with a detachable roller attachment generally designated 14.

The attachment 14 comprises a bracket 16 having a ,front portion 18which is slightly indented at its center, as indicated at 20. Thisindentation 20 increases the rigidity of the bracket. The bracket isalso provided with side portions 22. These side portions or arms 22extend rearwardly from opposite ends of the portion '18 at a slightoutward inclination.

Each arm 22 is provided, adjacent its upper rear corner, with anaperture 24. Through these apertures 24 extends a shaft or axle 26; thisaxle being loosely mounted within these apertures 24 so that a hingedconnection is established therebetween. At each end of the axle 26,outwardly of the corresponding arms 22, there is provided a pair ofcoaxially arranged rollers 28. The rollers 28 of each pair aredisconnected from each other except insofar as they are mounted on thecommon axle 26. Each pair of rollers is also arranged between a loosewasher 30 positioned betweenthe inner roller and the corresponding arm22, and a flange 32 at the corresponding end of the axle.

Attached to the front portion 18 of the bracket are two hook clamps 34.These hook clamps may be attached to the bracket in any manner desiredsuch as riveting, welding, bolting, etc.

The hook clamps 34 are arranged at opposite ends of the bracket portion18 and each hook clamp comprises a straight portion 36 attached to thebracket portion 18 by means of rivets 38 or the like, a lower elbowportion 40, a re'verseouter portion 42 and a forwardly extending flangedend 44 on the reverse portion 42.

Reverse portion 42 of each hook clamp 34 is provided with a tapped holeto receive a screw 46. There is also provided an aperture 48 in thecorresponding straight portion 36, such aperture 48 being in opposedrelationship to the tapped hole in the corresponding reverse portion 42.

It should be especially noted that the hook clamps 34 extend slightlybelow the rollers 28.

In use, the roller support 14 is applied to a trash can, such as the canindicated at 10, by loosening the screws 46 and applying the hook clamps34 under the bottom peripheral flange 50 of the can 10 (as bestindicated in Fig. 2). The screws 46 are then tightened against the innersurface of the adjacent portions of the flange S0 to securely clamp theattachment on the can. If desired, in order to get a more permanent andeven more secure connection, the screws 46 can be forced to pierce theflange 50 and to then extend into the corresponding apertures 48 at theother side of the hook clamp. It is also possible to first pierce theflange 50 and to then substitute bolts for the screws 46. Such bolts canthen extend through the pierced flange 50 into the corresponding holes48, and can then be held in place by appropriate lock nuts.

In use, with the roller support 14 attached to the trash can 10, theelbow portions 40 of the hook clamps 34 will serve to rigidly supportthe can in its normal stationary position, since the elbow portions 40extend slightly below the rollers 28 (as best illustrated in Fig. 2).However, when it is desired to transport the can from one place toanother, it is merely necessary to tilt the can up so that it rests onthe rollers 28. In this position, the hook clamps 34 will be tilted upabove the ground. With the can in this tilted position (as illustratedin Fig. 1) it is a simple matter to roll it to the desired place whereit can then again be moved into the straight vertical position, at whichpoint the elbow portions 40 will automatically resume their rigidsupporting positions.

The loose pivotal connection between the axle 26 and the bracket 16permits the aforesaid tilting action to take place. In addition, the useof two rollers on each side provides better support in soft ground, mud,sand or the like.

One additional fact to be noted is the fact that the tapped holes toaccommodate the screws 46 are arranged in the upper ends of the reverseportions 42, just underneath the corresponding flanges 44. This permitsthe roller attachment to be applied to cans having smaller flanges '50as well as-larger flanges 50, such as indicated in Fig. 2.. In addition,the positioning of the screws 46' at these upper positions provides abetter balanced and more secure attachment to the can.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims, the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A supporting device for containers comprising a generally U-shapedbracket having a front wall and a pair of rearwardly extending arms, oneof said arms extending from each of the opposite ends of said frontwall, said front wall having a curvature corresponding to the curvatureof the container to be-supported, an aperture in each of said arms, saidapertures being in alignment to form shaft-supporting journals, a shaftextending loosely and rotatably through said apertures, said shaft beinggenerally parallel to said front wall but in spaced relation thereto,roller means on each end of said shaft outwardly of said arms of thebracket, a plurality of'hook clamps connected to the front 'face of saidfront wall, each of said hook clamps comprising an elbow portionconnecting oppositely disposed, parallel, spaced body portions, saidelbow portion being positioned in a plane which is substantiallytangential to the outer peripheral plane of said roller means, andadjustable clamping means on each of said hook clamps, said clampingmeans being constructed and arranged to clamp a flange portion of acontainer between said body portions.

2. The supporting device of claim 1 wherein one of the body portions ofeach of said hook clamps is pro vided with a laterally extending flangeat its free end remote from said elbow portion, said laterally extendingflange being positioned to act as an auxiliary support for the containerwhen the flange portion of the container is clamped in said hook clamps.

3. In combination, a container having a bottom flange extending belowthe bottom wall of said container and a supporting device releasablyclamped to said container, said supporting device comprising a generallyU-shaped bracket having a front wall and a pair of rearwardly extendingarms, one of said arms extending from each of the opposite ends of saidfront Wall, said front wall having a curvature corresponding to thecurvature of the container to be supported, an aperture in each of saidarms, said apertures being in alignment to form shaft-supportingjournals, a shaft extending loosely and rotatably through saidapertures, said shaft being generally parallel to said front wall but inspaced relation thereto, roller means on each end of said shaftoutwardly of said arms of the bracket, a plurality of hook clampsconnected to the front face of said front wall, each of said hook clampscomprising an elbow portion connecting oppositely disposed, parallel,spaced body portions, said elbow portion being positioned in a planewhich issubstantially tangential to the outer peripheral plane of saidroller means, and adjustable clamping means on each of said hook clamps,said bottomflange of the container being releasably clamped between thebody portions of said hook clamps.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,102,872 Cerney et al.. July 7, 1914 1,130,684 Brown Mar. 2, 19151,422,730 Wood July 11, 1922 2,624,591 Choplin Jan. 6, 1953

